1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a thin-walled circular-shaped metal structure and a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly to such a metal structure usable as a photosensitive drum or a fixing roller in an electrophotographic printer or copier, and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For instance, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-225134 has suggested a method of fabricating a circular-shaped metal structure, including the steps of rotating a pipe around an axis thereof, and compressing a jig onto an outer surface of the pipe while the pipe is kept in rotation. The pipe is composed of a plastic-workable metal, and has a bottom or no bottom. The method reduces a thickness of a wall of the pipe, and lengthens a length of the pipe.
However, the above-mentioned method is accompanied with a problem that it is quite difficult or almost impossible to keep a thickness of a wall of the pipe constant, and to accomplish a desired outer diameter of the pipe, because the pipe is lengthened in an axial direction by reducing a thickness of a wall of the pipe.
In addition, if a pipe a wall of which has a quite small thickness is fabricated in accordance with the above-mentioned method, it is necessary to compress a jig onto a wall of the pipe a plurality of times.